Interesting Interaction with a Landowner

[jgoetz]

So Thursday on the way home from a morning hunt with a fellow HW member I decided to swing by a parcel of land near my place that is literally a duck magnet.  Always has birds and is primo duck land.  Literally thousands of birds.  I use it sort of as a quick barometer of how many ducks are in the area.  I have never seen anyone hunt this parcel of property.  And I have always considered knocking on the door to ask for permission.

Anywho, I am driving down the road and the owner is out hanging "no hunting" signs.  She is trying to hang them on the telephone poles which are sitting in thigh deep water.  I am all camoed up and face still painted up.  I lean out the window and ask if she needed help.  "I have my waders in the back of the truck."  She accepts and I began to banter back and forth with her about how great the land is.  At this point she realizes I am probably going to ask for permission and drops the "well we really love the little ducks."   At that point it just became a nice neighbor stop.  I hop out of the truck and done the waders.  As I am helping her hang the signs she makes a comment about how a duck hunter would want to hang no hunting signs on a piece of land that is such great duck habitat.  She goes on to tell me how guys try to trespass and try to push the envelope to get some action on their land.  She was visibly baffled that I would be willing to help her out even though she loved the birds and I loved to shoot them.  When I stepped out of the truck all camoed up I got the feeling she thought I was just a rube looking for access.  When I felt that she had seen hunters in a bit of a different light from our single interaction.

The two things that struck me out of the interaction were how we (waterfowler's as a whole)  (not anyone in particular) tend to paint ourselves in the worst possible light.  The bottom of the barrel stirs up enough muck it clouds out the top half too.  Secondly, that a little bit of effort and common decency go a long way in showing that as duck hunters we aren't out just to kill birds but do actually care about species management as well.  I guess I say all this to remind us all that we need to pay it forward once in a while.  Whether it is helping out land owners or picking trash out of blinds.  A little effort goes a long way for casting our sport in good light.

[ghosthunter]

Well said

[ghosthunter]

Guess only the duck hunters are up at this time. LOL
On my way out the door.
Where's that dog.?

[Blacktail135]

 Great write-up!

[PolarBear]

Nice! 

[ICEMAN]

Great interaction. Good for you. Thanks for posting.

[motg9_6]

 

[MLBowhunting]

 

[Eli346]

Good job! We need more hunters like you out there.

[Brad Harshman]

God Bless you.  Great right up and good job being a good neighbor.  Keep it up, lead by example, and remind the muck stirrers that its more than killing ducks.  It's a gentlman's sport, and we should be acting like gentlemen even if no one is looking.

[furiouzgeorge]

Jgoetz,

  I ran into you a couple of years ago in Glacier! Thanks for helping to 'up' the reputation / image of us hunters. Glad to see we aren't all jerks!  I had to clean out a duck-blind this afternoon as a father and his two older sons left all of their garbage and shells. At least they left empty handed as well! Good job man!

James

[Stickerbush]

 

[T Pearce]

Good job! We need more hunters like you out there.

Thanks

[Cougar125]

Right on man!  Way to be neighborly and help her out.

When she said she really liked the little ones you could've said you only shoot the big ones. 

[salmonchaser]

You are welcome at my fire anytime. Most of the land owners I know don't let people hunt their land anymore because of problems. Often times the problems had nothing to do with open gates and such, but more to do with a sense of entitlement displayed by folks looking for access, or caught trespassing.
You did good for all of us, thanks.

[JJD]

Help her understand what real duck hunter are and that we have more to do with preserving duck habitat than any other group.  Maybe drop her off a few copies of DU magazine. 

[lokidog]

Help her understand what real duck hunter are and that we have more to do with preserving duck habitat than any other group.  Maybe drop her off a few copies of DU magazine.

Great idea!  More non-hunters need to be taught who the real conservationists in this country are.